Smartphones using the Android operating system have taken the lead over the iPhone for the first time, according to research from Telsyte.

The Telsyte Australian Smartphone Market Study 2013-2017 revealed 44 per cent of smartphones in Australia now run Android, which is slightly ahead of 43 per cent of smartphones running Apple's iOS.

Foad Fadaghi, research director at Telsyte, said Androids have been able to take the lead from Apple due to a greater number of devices which can run the Android operating system.

Lower prices for Android smartphones and faster product cycles have also contributed to the lead, he said.

“Apple will remain close behind Android in the next 12 months. It needs to once again excite the market if it is to win over users from other platforms. However, iPhone customers are the most loyal, having the highest repeat purchase intention rate, ensuring the platform is likely to be large part of the market going forward,” Fadaghi told Computerworld Australia.

Fadaghi also said new technology could impact on the smartphone market, such as Google Glass, over the next 12 months.

“In 2013, we will start seeing the early wearable computers like Google Glass. This technology might eventually replace some devices and will be worth looking out for when developer versions hit the street,” he said.

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